Layoffs empty Ameridose

Saturday

Nov 10, 2012 at 6:00 AM

By Donna Boynton TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

The parking lots at the two Ameridose Flanders Road locations were all but empty yesterday, save for a handful of vehicles, the day after the company, closed for inspection since Oct. 10 because of problems at its sister company at the center of a national meningitis outbreak, announced it was laying off 650 employees.

Ameridose has an office building at 205 Flanders Road and another facility at 201 Flanders Road. In addition to the 650 employees, the layoffs also impact 140 employees in its Medical Sales Management division.

The announcement came weeks after a fungal meningitis outbreak was linked to steroid injections from its sister company, the New England Compounding Center in Framingham: More than 400 people have been sickened in 19 states and 31 have died.

No problems have been linked to Ameridose products, but it issued a recall last week after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration told Ameridose it needed to improve its sterility testing.

The company has paid its employees since it closed voluntarily, according to The Associated Press. The layoffs were to begin yesterday, the company said, and employees will be considered laid off as of Nov. 30.

Yesterday, it was unclear if the company or its laid-off employees were receiving state assistance.

The state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development has a rapid response team that provides assistance to companies in distress, helping with early intervention and re-employment services.

Alison Harris, spokeswoman for the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, said the company has not yet filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification letter with the state. The federal WARN Act requires employers with 100 or more employees to provide notification 60 business days in advance of plant closings or mass layoffs. That notice, which will be a public record when received, is sent to managers, supervisors, hourly and salaried workers, employees’ representatives, local chief elected official and the state.

Town Manager James J. Malloy said the company is among the top 10 biggest employers in town, “so we take this very seriously as it will have an impact on many families.” He added that he has sought a meeting, on behalf of the town’s Economic Development Committee, to see what the town could do to assist Ameridose.

He said, “All news accounts have indicated that these layoffs are temporary and the fact the Ameridose has not provided notice to the town leads me to believe this is true, as temporary layoffs are not covered by the (federal) act. My assumption is that the employees were not covered by unemployment and the company took this step to allow the employees the opportunity to collect unemployment until they reopen.”